potter_encyclopaediafandomcom-20200214-history
Werewolf
- New From J. K. Rowling - Werewolves *Wolf |native=Worldwide''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (An A-Z of Fantastic Beasts - Werewolf) |alias=Lycanthrope |height= |length= |wingspan= |mortality=Mortal |distinction=*Human who turns into wolf at full moon |affiliation= |class=XXXXX |status=Extant }} The werewolf is a species of monster renowned for appearing and acting as a regular human throughout most of the month but, upon the rising of the full moon, transforming into a vicious and deadly near-wolf - Chapter 9 (Grim Defeat). Werewolves are found in every area of the world, although they are believed to have originated in northern Europe, most likely England or France, according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newton Scamander. They are traditionally considered pariahs in the wizarding communities from which they spring. Werewolves are renowned for their preference for human flesh above all others; indeed, most animals are safe from werewolf attacks as the werewolf preys exclusively on humans. This is why James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew learned to become Animagi in their fifth year, to aid their friend Remus Lupin - Chapter 18 (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs). Those who study or hunt werewolves put themselves at a greater risk of werewolf attacks, and according to a study by Professor Marlowe Forfang taken in the twentieth century, almost all werewolves were wizards before being bitten, as most Muggles die from the extent of their injuries. Most werewolves claim that Muggles taste different from wizards as well. Werewolves have continually been shunned by wizarding society, and the Ministry of Magic's policies on werewolves have been muddled and inefficient. A Werewolf Code of Conduct was developed in 1637, and all werewolves were expected to sign, promising to lock themselves up at the full moon each month and not attack anyone; unsurprisingly, no one signed, because they were unprepared for the inevitable shame and exile induced by announcing their condition. The Werewolf Registry, on which all werewolves were supposed to provide their personal details, was rather incomplete and insufficient for the same reason. Indeed, at one point the Werewolf Registry and the Werewolf Capture Unit existed in the Beast Division of the Ministry while at the exact same time there was a Werewolf Support Services in the Being Division, the latter of which was shut down because nobody bothered with it. To become a werewolf, one must have been bitten by a transformed werewolf; being bitten by a non-transformed, humanoid werewolf will merely induce lupine tendencies such as a liking for raw meat. Any scratches or bite marks caused by a werewolf, however, will remain as scars and will never heal. Contrary to popular belief, silver is completely ineffective at the repelling or killing of werewolves, although a mix of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will seal the wound, preventing the victim from dying from blood loss (there are tragic tales of victims begging for death rather than lycanthropy). Professor Quirinus Quirrell taught his first year Defence Against the Dark Arts class about this treatment for werewolf bites - Chapter 13 (Nicolas Flamel) Throughout the last half of the twentieth century, a number of potions were devised to alleviate the symptoms of lycanthropy, the most successful being the Wolfsbane Potion in the 1980s. As most of these potions were very complicated, the vast number of werewolf transformations went untreated and as a consequence were extremely painful, preceded and succeeded by a few days of pallor and ill health. During the transformation, the werewolf loses its moral sense entirely, although it would be incorrect to assume that this lack of right and wrong continued into their human mind as some authors have insisted. In its transformed state, the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several very small ways: the pupils are smaller, the snout is shorter, the face is more human, the tail is tufted instead of bushy and the werewolf is aggressive whereas the true wolf is very docile. Werewolves reproduce by attacking non-werewolves and biting them, and for centuries few werewolves have married or had children due to the prejudice surrounding them. Nonetheless, most werewolves have noted that their lycanthropy did not pass on to their children, and thus Remus Lupin's fear that his son Edward Lupin would be infected is unfounded. One curious feature of the werewolf is that if two werewolves mate in their wolf forms under the full moon, they will have cubs - actual wolf cubs, not werewolves. These cubs differ from true wolves only in their immense beauty and intelligence. Rubeus Hagrid, under the authority of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, released a pack of these cubs into the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thus leading to legends of werewolves lurking in the woods. Werewolves are a popular topic in books, being included in The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble (page three hundred and ninety-four), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newton Scamander (pages forty-one and forty-two) and Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live by Emerett Picardy. Appearances *''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' *''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' *''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' *''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' *''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' *''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' *''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' *''Pottermore'' Notes and references Category:Werewolves Category:Creatures